Arrangement of elastic-plate paddles for steam vessels



\ the arms of a attached, Fig. 2 a side View of Fig. lf

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE JOUAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ARRANGEMENT 0F ELASTIC-PLATE PADDLES FOR STEAM VESSELS.

, Specification of LettersPatent No. 15,850, dated October 7, 1856.

To alt whom t may concern `Be it known that I, AUGUSTE J oUAN, of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Floats for Paddle-Wheels; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front `View of a portion of paddle wheel with the floats Fig. 3 a modification of the same, Fig. 4l a top View of Fig.- 3 showing the inclination of the floats to the arms and Fig. 5 a side view of Fig. 3.

The letters of reference indicate the same parts in the different figures wherever they occur.

My improvement is applied exclusively to wheels of the ordinary construction, and proportions and consists in an arrangement of elastic steel plates, for the ordinary rigid floats of wood or metal in the paddle wheels of steam vessels.

The whole breadth of the wheel is divided into any convenient number of floats F. In Fig. l they are represented in two rows or tiers one above the other the lower tier intended to be submerged, when the arms of the under side o-f the wheel are in a vertical position, and the upper tier only partly in the water as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by the water line W. Fig. 2 shows the bending of the elastic floats when meeting the resistance of the water the wheel being in motion.

Each float is firmly secured at its upper edge by bolts between two iron bars of sufficient strength, which bars (B) are securely fastened to the arms of the wheel A. About one third of the length of the floats of the lower tier from their bars C, and in front, a cross bar D is placed secured at both ends to the arms A, but left free in relation to the floats. Another bar E, is secured opposite to D at the rear of the floats.` The object of the bar D is to support and strengthen the floats when the wheel is going ahead while the bar E performs a similar oiiice when backing. When the wheel is at a stand the floats are straight and free from both bars.

`The upper tier of floats only dip slightly below the water line, and are intended principally to aid a sea going vessel when rolling heavily. The plates which compose the upper tier should be about half the thickness and size of those of the lower tier and without crossbars. The floats are made of steel plates thickest at their upper edges and gradually diminishing to their lower edges in thickness. They should be of good quality, and properly tempered to insure the highest degree of elasticity, and should be galvanized to prevent corrosion. Their width ought not to exceed nine or ten inches.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show a modification of my impro-vement as applied to the larboard wheel of a steamer. The plates are secured at the top to the bar C, in the manner before described, and have in addition strengthening plates G, before and behind, extending across all the plates of the row, and secured at the top to the same bar, the lower edges of the plates G, are slightly curved outward to conform to the curve taken by the floats when in action.

The bar C (Fig. 3) and the lower edges of the floats, whichare parallel thereto ineline toward the outside o-f the wheel forming an angle with the horizon of about live degrees, and also inclined forward at an angle of about three degrees with the axis of the wheel.

The blades of which the'floats are composed should not touch but should be free of, and independent of each other.

The floats in Fig. 5 are working backward.

As ra general rule the length of the blades of the floats should be as three to two of the depth of the ordinary floats, meaning, that if the board used in the common paddle wheel is one foot deep, then the length of the elastic steel blade forming part of the float must be eighteen inches.

l The advantages floats with the ordinary paddle wheel are obvious, and have been successfully tested by actual experiment.

What I claim asmy invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The series Vof vertically divided elastic plate paddles arranged as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

A. J OUAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD, CHAs. EVERETT.

of combining elastic 

